The number of children and young people tormented by online trolls drastically increasing in recent years

14 August 2017 • 12:01am

Nearly half of girls have blocked social media users after suffering harassment, a survey has found.

It comes amid a rise in online abuse, with the number of children and young people tormented by online trolls drastically increasing in recent years.

Almost three quarters of girls, aged 11 to 18, have taken some form of action to avoid criticism online, according to a survey commissioned by the charity Plan International UK.

This could include receiving upsetting direct messages, having images shared without their consent, or feeling harassed through regular contact.

The most popular course of action was blocking other users Credit:
Anatolii Babii / Alamy

The survey of 1,002 secondary school boys and girls in the UK showed that 48 per cent of female respondents had experienced some form of harassment or abuse on social media, compared to 40 per cent of boys.

Of the females surveyed, 73 per cent said they had taken some form of action to avoid criticism on social media, compared with 59 per cent of boys.

The most popular course of action was blocking other users (43 per cent), while a third opted not to participate in a debate or conversation online for fear of being criticised and 13 per cent said they had stopped going on social media altogether.

Girls are self-censoring on social media for fear of backlash from othersTanya Barron,chief executive of Plan International UK

Tanya Barron, chief executive of Plan International UK, said: "Girls have previously told us that they face harassment in schools and are scared everyday on the street.

"This new survey now shows that what they're experiencing in the physical world is spilling over into their digital world - and we mustn't allow this to happen.

"What's really concerning is that our research shows girls are self-censoring on social media for fear of backlash from others."

Last year a study by the NSPCC showed that the number of children and young people tormented by online trolls has increased by 88 per cent in five years.